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STRONY

Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein is one of the most influential American fashion designers. He launched incredibly successful fashion empire and was named "America's King of Clothes". The pioneer in casual wear became associated with sporting looks and distinctly American attitude. He was the first designer ever to receive (in 1982) the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in womenswear and menswear. Calvin Klein was great in marketing (like his peer Ralph Lauren), allocated immense financial resources to advertising and understood importance of the licensing agreements early in his career.

"Klein ... did not create an indelible fashion mark in the way that Giorgio Armani and [Yves] Saint Laurent did ... But in a way, it wasn't about the clothes. You may not remember the cut of a Calvin Klein jacket, but you will remember Brooke Shields rolling up on her back to talk about her 'Calvins', or Kate Moss ... in the Obsession ads, or Marky Mark ... In the simplest terms, Klein's genius was to shift the conversation from being one purely about fashion (what I wear) to attitude (how I look). And in doing that, he changed the whole game". (Cathy Horyn in NYT)

The story of Calvin Klein's Inc. success is quite remarkable. It is hard to believe that the company founded in 1967 with $10k investment, was doing $1 million in sales a year later and $90 million in 1977. Klein's long-time childhood friend and subsequently business partner Barry Schwartz was the one, who put down $10k to start the company. Klein and Schwartz remained business partners for decades to come until they sold the company in 2002 to American clothing company, Phillips-Van Heusen. The first order for Calvin Klein's clothes came from Mildred Custin, president of Bonwit Teller. "Luxury sportswear" rooted in a casual American style was becoming more and more popular (another designer Anne Klein was one of its pioneers) and therefore Klein's garments were selling briskly. Klein was the one, who came up with the idea of selling tight-fitting jeans with his name on the back pocket. Millions were spent on advertising (some of the ads were perceived as scandalous) in order to position itself as a powerbrand.

"Klein's done a fabulous job in consumer goods. He is one of those leading-edge people who presses at the boundaries of what is acceptable. His ads violate taboos, they give us vivid looks at things we are not supposed to see. He shows nudity, sensuality and intimacy as something human, real, desirable". (Sidney Levy).

My name is Magdalena. I'm a personal shopper, stylist and fashion blogger. I love classics and elegance, timeless forms and cutting. My biggest inspiration are Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jackie Onassis . I'm a huge fan of fifties in fashion. My blog is a place where you can find my inspirations, beautiful places which I visited and all these things which I loved . This is a small window of my lifestyle.